Major contract for construction of new lock at Terneuzen

Bunnik, the Netherlands, 8 September 2017 – The Flemish-Dutch Scheldt Commission (Vlaams-Nederlandse Scheldecommissie, VNSC, a partnership between the Netherlands and Flanders for jointly managing the Scheldt estuary) has commissioned the Sassevaart joint venture the contract to construct a new lock at Terneuzen. The contract value is more than €753 million. The Sassevaart joint venture consists of BAM (the Dutch and Belgian sister companies BAM Infra and BAM Contractors), DEME (DEME Infra Marine Contractors B.V. and Dredging International N.V.) and the Belgian contractor Algemene Aannemingen Van Laere N.V.

The Terneuzen lock complex connects the Western Scheldt with the Ghent-Terneuzen Canal, which is part of the Rotterdam-Paris inland waterway route and one of the busiest navigated canals in Europe.

The new lock is 427 metres long, 55 metres wide and has a depth of 16 metres. It will be built within the current lock complex, between the Western and Eastern locks. The existing Middle Lock will therefore be removed.

The joint venture will start the enabling works by the end of 2017. The New Lock is expected to be operational in 2022.

The construction period is expected to take 60 months, during which time 300,000 m³ of concrete will be poured, 32,000 tons of reinforcing steel put in place, 10,000 tons of steel used for building the lock gates and bridges and 50,000 ton of steel for piling and steel sheet walls. The construction is followed by a 24 months maintenance period.

The project has been awarded European subsidy under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).